I have some good news and some bad news...

The good news is... I got my new bed home and it is even more beautiful than I thought it would be!

The bad news is... I am in the middle of refurbishing an old desk (pictured below) that was my Dad's while I was growing up so I can't start painting the bed just yet.

The bad news is... I took our old bed (pictured below) down and we are sleeping on our box spring and mattress on the floor. My husband complains that it makes him feel like a college kid.


The good news is... I listed my old bed on Craigslist and sold it for $150 more than I paid for my new 4 poster bed. That means I have enough money left over to buy new linens. These on Linensource certainly caught my eye. (Now I just have to wait for their next sale.)



The bad news is... we had to travel six hours today for a doctor's appointment for my son.

The good news is... I got to stop in my favorite store in the whole world, Country Curtains. Usually when we are in that area, Michael is not feeling well from treatments or tests, so today I took advantage of his feeling great and got my Country Curtains fix.



On a side note -If you are not familiar with Country Curtains, check out their website and request their catalog. And if you are ever near one of their stores, stop in. You won't be disappointed.

Well I am off to work on that desk. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can get to that beautiful bed. Thanks for stopping by, JoAnne

I'm sooo excited...

I just checked my email and someone has made my day. More on that in a minute - first I have a confession to make. My name is JoAnne and I am a recovered Ebayaholic. I live in a very rural area and antique shops, thrift shops and the like are few and far between (good ones anyway). With my discovery of the internet and Ebay, I was able to fulfill my craving for bargains, treasures and trinkets.

Then the unthinkable happened - someone successfully hacked into my Ebay account. I was devastated (and more than a little nervous). I immediately closed my account and went cold turkey! After awhile, I opened a new account and took certain precautions to safeguard my personal information. But alas, the thrill was somewhat tarnished.

A few months ago I discovered a new outlet for bargain hunting - Craigslist. The hunt for treasures was on! But to my dismay, none were found locally. Then I discovered you can change the city you are searching for in Craigslist and I was delighted. I started searching in the Syracuse and Utica areas, which are only an hour away but are filled with a wider variety of interesting and unusual items.

This brings me to my email and excitement this morning. For some time, I have been looking for a canonball 4 poster bed for my bedroom. I want to paint it white and I have some guilt about painting "new" furniture so I was looking for a second hand one. I was very particular - I needed a queen size bed. I wanted something substantial in scale (no pencil post bed for me). I wanted a quilt rack on the foot board. And of course, it had to be a bargain. This picture from Ashley Furniture shows the style I was looking for.



I was growing discouraged that I would ever find exactly what I wanted when what should appear on Syracuse's Craiglist but the PERFECT bed. I quickly emailed the owner yesterday morning. Since she listed the bed Sunday night, I was on pins and needles waiting for her to tell me that nobody else had snatched up my treasure. She only wanted $100 and I was afraid other bargain hunters would be quicker to the keyboard than me. Well, this morning I received my response - the bed is mine! Here is my new find -

Isn't it beautiful? The posts aren't canonballs but the rest of it is so perfect that I can overlook that. (And actually I kind of like the detailing on the posts.) I can't wait to get it home and make it mine. I think I will paint it a creamy white. And I would like to add an applique to the headboard like this one on Do It Yourself Chic.

I think Craigslist and I are going to have a long and happy relationship. Now if you will excuse me - I am off to sweet talk my brother-in-law who owns a truck into making a trip to Syracuse. JoAnne

Welcome to my new blog...

Michael's blog started as a serious project - an efficient way to keep family and friends connected to Michael's journey. Along the way I became utterly hooked on blogging! I plan to still keep that blog's focus on all that has to do with Michael but have decided to start this new blog to write about whatever strikes my fancy. It will be lighthearted and fun. And I hope it entertains and inspires you.

I have been following several wonderful blogs for the last year about soapmaking and homemade body products. I've have been educated and entertained by them and found them to be a welcome respite from everyday stresses. I even began the process of starting a home based bath and body business before Michael needed all my energy. Perhaps someday I will be able to pick up where I left off, but for now the most important thing in my life is keeping Michael healthy.

I also have a passion for decorating. When I first entered college out of high school, I was enrolled in an interior design program but since I decided to put down roots where I had grown up, there was little chance of making a living at it. We have seen a tremendous economic expansion in the area in recent years but in the eighties, this was a very rural area with zero demand for interior designers.

Now I am content to decorate my own home and offer decorating advice to friends and family (sometimes solicited, sometimes not). I love to watch HGTV and the DIY Network. And since I am not a big fan of reality shows or shows with excessive violence, I find taping my favorite HGTV shows allows me to watch what I want to watch, when I want to watch it.

And on the internet, I have found a host of other people (mostly women) that share my love of their homes. I first found these wonderful souls on the HGTV's Rate My Space website. This is where ordinary folks can post pictures of their homes and other members can rate their handiwork on a scale of 1 to 5. Then the spaces are ranked according to popularity. I have seen some beautiful homes and have been inspired and motivated. (And with all that has been going on with Michael for the past year, I needed some inspiration and motivation.)

In the coming weeks, I plan on posting images and stories from my own home. I will also share with you some of the wonderful webpages that I enjoy so much. So sit back. Kick up your feet. And enjoy the journey. JoAnne